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Through a Glass Brightly...


Through a Glass Brightly...
Photo Information
Copyright: Michael Jones (mike) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 59 W: 16 N: 68] (280)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2003-11
Categories: Nature
Camera: HP Photosmart 850
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Christmas Cards 2004 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-12-22 4:31
Viewed: 1649
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Photoshop's full of hidden gems, tucked away in places quite unexpected, here's one of them, the glass filter with a twist!

A bit of groundwork in understanding the glass filter is needed, but it isn't complicated, it works by displacing areas of your image to built in algorithm's, giving various types of glass effect, blocks, canvas, frosted and tiny lens are the built in presets.

What many users don't know is that this is only scratching the surface of the glass filter's powers, underneath the preset list is one more, load texture, if you've ever clicked on this a file browser will have opened, you probably clicked on cancel at this point!

Okay, what does load texture actually do? well Photoshop is asking you to open a greyscale PSD file to use as a basis for the glass filter, this greyscale image can be absolutely anything, text, clipart, a precreated and saved shape, whatever, the only thing you need to remember is the background needs to be black and the file dimensions (for best effect) need to be the same as your image.

For this image I created an 800x800 new document, filled with black, then added a type layer in white, after rasterizing the type I added a bevel and emboss style to the layer, there aren't any 'correct' settings here, it's play around until you have a nice 3D effect (I'll upload the type layer as a workshop so you can see the idea).

Save this greyscale image as a .psd file, no other will do.

Now, the magic bit... open your chosen picture, and go to Filter/Distort/Glass, when the dialogue box opens choose load texture from the dropdown box, and load in your presaved .psd file, give the distortion slider a setting of 20 and the smoothess slider a setting of 8, then click okay.

Try this with some of the built in shapes that you get with Photoshop, snowflakes, stars, card shapes, anything, once you get the hang of the process the sky's the limit!

Merry Christmas (in glass.......)!!
Janice, ladybug8381, Quark, maleentjeh, Fisher, hojper, orbiter, WALTERito, laine, sbelkoski has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
The real Santa Claus...svan 1 12-29 15:18
To laine: Thanks Lainemike 1 12-27 14:04
To Fuji-mon: arghhhh...mike 1 12-22 10:47
To ladybug8381: The web!mike 1 12-22 07:05
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3265 W: 267 N: 7730] (32968)
  • [2004-12-22 5:13]

Mike, you are a good advert for Photoshop. This is very interesting. Looks like another excellent Christmas card idea :) I've still got to try this layer business. Janice

Thanks, Mike, for the very informative note. Also, the photo is awesome with the web creeping down onto the text. This is great.
Merry Christmas to you too!

  • Great 
  • Quark Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 1339 W: 10 N: 29] (66)
  • [2004-12-22 7:29]

Interesting note but the most of all, a wonderful Christmaspicture, Mike, how beautiful with the full colours and the wet look !
Nice done, have good Christmas-days !

SUPER ORIGINAL! quelle créativité surprenante! felicitation, le rouge des fruits et l'eau sur la toile, se mèlent ensemble pour ecrire MERRY CHRISMAS, on croirait une pub pour bonbons

hey michael,realy great shot!very creative and sounds like alot of pp work.
i realy like the effect and the background is nice too.it's realy special.well done!

Absolutely wonderful Mike. Thanks for helping us with the photoshop !

Merry Christmas
Marleen

Mike, you spelled Merry wrong!!!! just kidding. :) :)
Hey, nice one you created. Excelent note.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Mike

Now, there's a true TL note. Hope I will find the time to go back to it over Christmas and maybe even follow your manual. This is what TL is all about. And I added the beauty to the theme group of course.

Oh Mike, nice picture, great colors. And, a great but extensive note!!! Too much english for me... I would like to learn more.

Pamela

  • Great 
  • Saiz Gold Star Critiquer [C: 909 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2004-12-22 11:55]

Merci pour vos bons voeux "glacés" et bonnes fêtes à vous aussi.

Done a great job Mike! Indeed there are many hidden 'assets' in PS... Thats the power of the program, beginners can do a lot of fun things with it, but also advanced users. You have show here again that you are a real master, a Pro in PS! Merry Christmas to you too!

This is just great Mike. Very wintery and christmassy. The text is very creative. Thanks for all the step by step instructions. I will save them, and try it out one day.
It's a nice shot of the berries, and the dewy spider's web is an added bonus. Well spotted, and a great macro.

Merry christmas to you too Mike. i reallt like what you created here although it looks a bit like the spider started it off :) Good Work & very informative note.

John

A very tasteful and tasty picture Mike !
Thanks for the tips.

  • Great 
  • laine Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 376 W: 37 N: 106] (877)
  • [2004-12-27 13:30]
  • [+]

Although checking your pic after Xmas, this picture really gives this "Merry Christmas" feeling.. Finally! :)
Your notes as usually very useful and the only thing I want to do after reading them is to try smth similar right away...
Nice work, Mike!
And as Xmas is over - A Happy New Year to you! :)

Very good!
the colors and the closed framing were excellent.
It produces a beautiful card of native! Very good!
David.

thanks for the information super photo super idea

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